Coloration of textile materials



Aug, m 94@ H. PLTT ETAL COLORATION OF vTEX'IE'ILE MATERIALS :ssheets-sheet 1 Filed June .14, 1938 HII'IHHHHHIIIIHHIHII l Il.

INVENTORS HERBEKI'PL'ATT .CYR I L M. CROFT coLoRAT'IoN oF TEXTILEMATERIALS H. PLATT Sla-rm..

Filed .June 14, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS HRBERT PLATT CYRIL M.CROFT A/ ATTRNEYS H Aug. 1.3, 1946. "H, PLA-r1- TAL I' 2,405,669

coLoRATIoN oF TEXTILE MATERIALS Filed 'Tune 14,' 19:58 s Sheets-sneer sl; :LL-.42

HERBERT LATT cYRgL M. RoFT Patented Aug. 13, 1946 entre COLORATION FTEXTILE MATERIALS Herbert Platt and Cyril M. Croft, Cumberland,

assignors to Celanes'e Corporation of America, a corporation of DelawareApplication June 14, 1938, Serial No. 213,585

12 Claims.

This invention relates to the dyeing of textile materials, especiallythose containing thermoplastic yarns or filaments, with dyes which havecommercially rapid dye affinity for said yarns or laments at'elevatedtemperatures.

An object of the invention is the application of dyes to materialscontaining organic derivative of cellulose yarns or filaments. Anotherobject of the invention is the method o-f dyeing textile materialscontaining organic derivative of cellulose yarns or filaments whereinVthe dye is lapplied uniformly, the dye is substantially exhausted andthe time required to bring the textile material to a good shade isreduced. Another object of the invention is the dyeing of textilematerials containing organic derivative of cellulose yarns or filamentswith dyes having an affinity for the organic derivative of celluloseonly at elevated temperatures. A still further object of our inventionis the construction of a dye jig which will dye fabrics with hightemperature dyes. Other objects of our invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description and drawings.

In the drawings,.wherein like reference numerals refer to the same orsimilar elements in the respective views:

Fig. 1 is a side View, partially in section, of a dye jig constructed inaccordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is an end View of the dye jig shown in Fig. 1,

'.ing the loading of the dye jig, and

Fig. 7 is a somewhat diagrammatic view showing the unloading of the dyejig.

The dyeing of fabrics containing thermoplastic yarns has been effectedonly by the use of special processes, as compared to the dyeing of'other types of fabric, and by a careful'selection of dyestuffs. Fabricscontaining thermoplastic yarns, which are woven into twills,'taffetas,etc., are normally dyed in a jig as the batch process of dyeing ordyeing on the winch causes creases to be formed in the fabric. Moreover,the yarns are somewhat softened due to the heat of the dye bath and/orreagents contained in the bath causing the creases to become permanent.In order to'avoid creasing of the fabric, the fabric is dyed on deviceswhich maintain the fabric in an open width or flattened condition, acommon type of such a device being a jig. Although the use of a jigovercame the formation of creases, it limited the number of dyestufisthat could be employed. For instance, prior to this invention hightemperature dyestuffs could not be used in a jig with commercialsuccess. By high temperature dyestuffs is meant those dyestuffs thathave good anity for the fabric only at temperatures of 70 C. or above.These dyestuffs, being sensitive to the temperature ofthe fabric,produced streaky dyeings with shaded selvedges and ends due to theuneven cooling of the fabric on the roll and the temperaturedifferential between the center and edges of the fabric when on theroll. We have now found that a full range of dyestuffs, including thehigh temperature dyestuffs, may be applied on the jig to fabricscontaining `thermoplastic yarns by maintaining the temperature 'of bothrolls of fabric at a` temperature above the critical temperature of thatcomponent of the dyestuff requiring the higher temperature. This notonly permits the use of a wider range of dyestuifs and effects uniformdyeing, but also greatly decreases the timev of dyeing,

thus effecting greater production per machine and man hour.

By employing this invention a better penetration of the dyestui into thefilaments is obtained and an improved hand is obtained, it beingsomewhat fuller than that obtained by prior methods. As stated above,the invention effects an economy in the dyeing process as there is animproved speed of dyeing. VThere is also eifectd a saving in dyestuffand steam employed, the bath being radily exhausted of dyestuif andescape of steam is confined. y

In accordance with our invention, we dye fabrics containingthermoplastic yarns in an open Width and flattened condition on a jigwhile maintaining a substantially uniform temperature throughout bothrolls of fabric, which temperature is high enough to effect a dyeingwith high temperature dyestuffs. construct a novel jig, also forming apart of this invention, having an enclosed space above the tub in whichthe fabric is being treated. f

This invention is applicable to the dyeing of any fabric regardless ofcomposition or structure. However, it is especially applicable to thedyeing of closely woven taetas and crepes that are made of or containthermoplastic yarns.. Any. type f of fabric may be treated in accordancewith this To accomplish this we aioacce made entirely of thermoplasticyarns or thermoplastic yarns may be interwoven or knitted with yarns ofother materials, such as cotton, silk, wool, regenerated cellulose, etc.Even the yarns themselves may be made of a mixture of thermoplastic bersor laments and bers or filaments of nonthermoplastic materials, andthese yarns may be interwoven or knitted with yarns of thermoplasticmaterial or yarns of non-thermoplastic material. In the practice priorto this invention it was found that the care to be given to fabriccontaining these thermoplastic yarns was directly proportional to theamount of thermoplastic yarns present in the fabric.

The thermoplastic material of the fabric may be any suitablethermoplastic material, such as the organic derivatives of cellulosewhich include the organic esters of cellulose and the cellulose ethers.Examples of the organic esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate,cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate, whileexamples of the ethers of cellulose are ethyl cellulose, methylcellulose and benzyl cellulose. l

The thermoplastic material may be present in the fabric as substantiallycontinuous .filaments or as bers, or may even be present as a coating ordressing.

These fabrics may be dyed with any suitable dyestuif having affinitytherefor or for one constituent thereof. Mixtures of dyestuff may beemployed, for instance, in dyeing a fabric containing cotton andcellulose acetate, the dye bath may contain dyestuffs having affinityfor cotton and dyestuffs having an ainity for cellulose acetate. Also amixture of dyestuffs having affinity for the same constituent may beemployed to produce a desired shade. For instance, a blue and a reddyestuf, each having an afnity for cellulose acetate, may be employed.All or any of the dyestus employed may be high temperature dyestuifs.

The dyeing may ybe performed by passing the fabric any number of timesthrough .the liquid in the jig. The liquid or dye bath in the jig may bea water emulsion or dispersion of the dyestuff with suitablesolubilizing agents, dispersing `agents and the like, such as Turkey redoil, dexcompounds, benzyl ethyl aniline, etc., ror finishes t which areintended t remain on the fabric, such as oils, resins and stearylchloride.

The bath may be maintained at any suitable temperature at or below itsboiling point, while the enclosed space above the bath, in which spaceis contained the bulk of the fabric being dyed, is maintained at thesame temperature as the bath or, as necessary in commercial production,a few degrees lower. Although the bath may be maintained at anytemperature, this invention is primarily concerned with the use Yof hightemperature dyestuifs, in which case the temperature of the bath ispreferably maintained at or above C., and for some of the fast to acidfading high temperature dyestuis, the bath is maintained kat or justbelow its boiling point, while the rolls of fabric are maintained at orabove 80 C. Y

In the drawings is shown a jig constructed in iccordance with thisinvention. With 'particular reference to Figs. l and 2 the jig isconstructed of a frame I having mounted therein a tub 2. At each side ofthe frame I is mounted a pair of uprights 3 and 4. The uprights 3, ofwhich there is one on each side of the jig, support a shaft '5. uponwhich is mounted a shell-6 about which the fabric is rolled during thedyeing operation, Near the top of the uprights 3 there is provided anopen top bearing I for supporting a shaft 8 adapted to support a roll offabric B during the loading of the jig. In the uprights A, of whichthere is one on each side of the jig, is a shaft 9 which has mountedthereon a shell ll about which the fabric is adapted to be rolled duringthe dyeing operation. The upper end of the uprights l are provided withbearings I2 adapted to support a square shaft I3. On one end of theshaft 9 at the outside of the frame member is mounted a sprocket I4,while on a similar end of shaft I3 is also mounted a sprocket I5. Bymeans of sprocket chain i6 the shaft 9 drives shaft I3 for the purposeof rolling up and unloading the fabric I3' from the jig. Mounted in thetub are suitable guide rollers Il for directing the fabric through thebath contained therein. Also mounted in the jig is a spreader arm I8 ofany suitable type having mounted thereon spreader-controlling rollers I9which act through the spreader arm I8 to regulate the tension on thefabric and the relative speeds of the shafts 5 and 9.

For driving the jig there is provided a suitable motor 2| which actsthrough a suitable transmission and speed reducing device 22 to rotatethe shafts 5 and 9, the relative speeds of which and their direction oftravel are controlled by suitable mechanism 23 partly responsive to thespreader arm I8.

At the outside of the jig frame is a second frame comprising four hollowcorner posts 24. These corner posts are shown in cross-section in Figs.3 and 4. These corner posts support an enclosure for the spaceimmediately above the tub in which the fabric is rolled from shaft 5 tothe shaft 9 and back as many times as it is necessary to effect thedesired dyeing. This enclosure above the tub is constructed of movableends 25 adapted to slide up and down in a guideway 26 suitably attachedto the corner posts. These ends may be formed of a suitable frame, assho-Wn at 25 in Figs. 2 and 3, which frame contains glass panes 21 suchthat an operator may look in the end of the device to ascertain thecondition of the fabric. The movable ends 25 are held in a raisedposition by counterweights 28 attached thereto by means of cords 29.vThese counterweights 28 are adapted to hang inthe hollow corner posts.Below the movable end 25 is a movable skirt 3|, shown in cross-sectionin Fig. 4, which is adapted to be raised and lowered in the guideway 32Aattached to the corner posts 24. Also across each end is a suitablebrace 33 tending to maintain the corner posts in spaced and parallelrelationship. The bottom of the skirts 3l may terminate in -a flangeadapted to make contact with the tub 2 to prevent the escape of steamfrom between the ends of the enclosure and the tub. The sides of theenclosure are formed of a suitable sheet material 35'having cutoutportions to fit around the shafts 5 and 9. The sides extend from oneYcorner post to the other terminating in a .flange 36 forming one sideof the guideway 32, thuseffecting a seal Vatthefour vertical'corners ofthe'enclosure.

" Alongthe vtop of both Vside members 35, as

amaca@ more fully shown in Fig. 5, is a bracket 31 adapted to supporttwo series of rollers 38 and 39. At the inner end of the shaft 4I thatsupports rollers 33 is a flexible tubing 42 adapted to prevent theescape of steam along the two upper horizontal edges of the enclosure.-Mounted for sliding movement on the rollers 38 and 39 are a pair offrames 43 and 44 which support glass panes 45 and 46, respectively. Eachframe 43 and 44 is but slightly longer than half the length of theenclosure, the central ends of which terminate in flanges 41 and 48,respectively, such that when the panes are moved to enclose the top theflanges 41 and 48 make a seal preventing the escape of steam.

Suitable pipe lines may be connected with the tub 2 for furnishingthereto hot and cold water, etc., these being conventional have not beenshown on the drawings. The tub 2 may also contain steam pipes or othermeans 49 for heating up or maintaining the bath in the tub 2 at anelevated temperature. Also, there may be provided above the tub 2 steampipes or other means 5I for heating up or maintaining the atmosphere ofthe enclosure above the bath at a given temperature. The heatingelements 5I are not always necessary as the temperature of the bath soonraises the small amount of atmosphere to substantially its owntemperature. There is also provided means for lighting up the interiorof the enclosure, such as marine lights 52 mounted in the side walls ofthe enclosure. To prevent condensate from preventing the operator fromascertaining the state of the fabric there is provided a manuallyoperated or automatically operated wind shield wiper 53 at one or bothends of the enclosure.

The operation of the device may best be described with particularreference to Figs. 6 and '1, which, although somewhat diagrammatic, showthe operation of the device. For loading the jig a roll of fabric 8carried on a suitable shell is placed on the shaft 8 and the end of thefabric is brought around the shell contained on the shaft 9. rlhe shaft9 is then rotated pulling the fabric from the roll 8 and Winding it onthe shell on shaft 9. To accomplish this, however, the frame 25containing the panes 21 and also the skirt 3| on that end of the machineis lowered, while the tWo top sections 45 and 46 are moved to the rightas seen in Fig. 6. After the fabric has been placed on the shaft 9 it isthen threaded about spacer arm I8, guide roll l1 onto the shellsupported by the shaft 5. The end of the enclosure at the left, as seenin Fig. 6, is then raised and the top 46 is moved to the left effectinga substantially sealed enclosure about the rolls of fabric which now maybe run through the dye bath contained in the tub 2. As the spaceenclosed is relatively small the heat contained in the dye bath orsupplied thereto is usually sufficient to maintain the enclosed spacewithin a relatively few degrees of the dye bath. For instance, when thedye bath is maintained at or near 100 C. the atmosphere containedin theenclosure is around 92 C. For the purpose of unloading the jig thefabric is wound on the shell supported by shaft 9, the right end as seenin Fig. '1 is then lowered and the top section 45 is moved to the lefteffecting a whole open corner. The fabric is then threaded onto a shellslipped on the shaft I3. By means of the drive chain I6 the fabric ispulled from the enclosure and wound into a roll I3" upon the shellsupported by the shaft I3. After Winding fabric one end of the shaft I3may be released from its bearing"k by means of the hinge bearing top 54which permits the Vsquare shaft I3 to be raised suf.-

ciently free of the bearing to slip the shell containing the fabrictherefrom. Y

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is merelygiven by way of illustration and that many variations may be madetherein without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having described our invention, what we desire to secure by LettersPatent is: y

1. A method of dyeing fabrics containing organic derivative of celluloseyarns, which comprises immersing the fabric in a heated bath containinga dyestul, withdrawing the fabric from said bath and maintaining thefabric at substantially the same temperature as the temperature oftheheated dye bath while it is out of the bath until dyeing issubstantially completed.

2. A method of dyeing fabrics containing cellulose acetate yarns, whichcomprises immersing the fabric in a heated bath containing ,a dyestuff,withdrawing the fabric from said bath and maintaining the fabric atsubstantially the same temperature as the temperature of the heated dyebath while it is out of the bath until dyeing is substantiallycompleted.

3. A method of dyeing fabrics containing organic derivative of celluloseyarns, which comprises immersing the fabric in a heated bath containinga high temperature dyestu, withdrawing the fabric from said bath andmaintaining the fabric at substantially the same temperature as thetemperature of the heated dye bath while it is out of the 4bath untildyeing is substantially completed.

4. A method of dyeing fabrics containing cellulose acetateyarns, whichcomprises immersing the fab-ric in a heated bath containing a. hightemperature dyestuff, withdrawing the fabric from said bath andmaintaining the fabric at substantially the same temperature as thetemperature of the heated dye bath while it is out of the bath untildyeing is substantially completed.

5. A method of dyeing fabrics containing organic derivative of celluloseyarns, which comprises immersing the fabric in a heated bath containinga dyestuif and withdrawing the fabric from said bath into an enclosedatmosphere maintained at substantially the same temperature as thetemperature of the heated dye bath.

6. A method of dyeing fabrics containing cellulose acetate yarns, whichcomprises immersing the fabric in a heated bath containing a dyestuffand withdrawing the fabric from said bath into an enclosed atmospheremaintained at substantially the same temperature as the temperature ofthe heated dye bath.

7. A method of dyeing fabrics containing organic derivative of celluloseyarns, which comprises immersing the fabric in a heated bath containinga dyestuif and withdrawing the fabric from said bath and rolling up thesame in an atmosphere maintained at substantially the same temperatureas the temperature of the vheated dye bath While the ldyeing of thefabric is being completed.

8. A method of dyeing fabrics containing cellulose acetate yarns, whichcomprises immersing the fabric in a heated bath containing a dyestuffand withdrawing the fabric from said bath and rolling up the same in anatmosphere maintained at substantially the same temperature as thetemperature of the heated `dye bath whilethe dyeing of 'the fabric isbeing completed.; Y

9. A method of dyeing fabrics containing o rganic derivative ofcellulose yarns, which `comprises intermittently immersingj thefabricjin a heated Ybath containing a dyestuii and withdrawing the samefrom `said bath andinaintaining the temperature of the bath and theatmosphere surrounding the fabric while it is out of the bath atsubstantially the same temperature until ldyeing is substantiallycompleted.

10. A method of dyeing fabrics containingrcellulose acetate yarns, whichcomprises intermittently immersing the fabric in a heated bathcontainingr a dyestuff and withdrawing the same from said bath andmaintaining the temperature of the lbath and the atmosphere surroundingthe fabric while it is out of the bath at substantially the sametemperature until dyeing is substantially completed.

l1. A method of dyeing fabrics containing organic derivative .ofcellulose yarns, which comprises intermittently immersing the fabric ina heated bath containing a high temperature dye- .stuff and withdrawingthe same from said bath and maintaining the temperature of the bath andthe atmosphere surrounding the fabric while it is out of the bath atsubstantially the same temperature until dyeing is substantiallycompleted.

l2. A method of dyeing fabrics containing ce1- lulose acetate yarns,which comprises intermittently immersing the fabric in a heated bathcontaining a high temperature dyestuff and Withdrawing the same fromsaid bath and maintaining the temperature of the bath and the atmospheresurrounding the fabric while it is out of the bath at substantially thesame temperature until dyeing is substantially completed. y

t HERBERT PLATT. CYRIL `M. CROFI.

